Kate White is perhaps best known as editor-in-chief of the garish and glossy Cosmopolitan. On the side, she has taken up writing best-selling mystery novels. 'Til Death Do Us Part is her third book featuring plucky amateur detective and New York City magazine writer Bailey Weggins.

The plot centers around the posh enclave of Greenwich, Conn. Trust-fund baby Ashley Hanes contacts true-crime writer Bailey with some disturbing news: two of the bridesmaids from the lavish wedding of Peyton Cross -- a Martha Stewart-esque domestic diva and Bailey's college roommate -- have turned up dead in quite unusual, seemingly accidental ways. Ashley, another bridesmaid, thinks something darker is at work and fears she could be next. This alarms Bailey, since she was one of Peyton's bridesmaids as well, and she agrees to look into it. But as soon as Bailey arrives in Greenwich to speak with Peyton, Ashley also meets an untimely demise.

Bailey then tromps all over Greenwich, New York City and Miami trying to piece together the mystery and convince police that the deaths are related. But when she too is attacked, she realizes she could be the next bridesmaid to meet her maker.

Kate Walsh of The Drew Carey Show voices Bailey as an approachable, no-nonsense Girl Next Door and has fun with the drawling accent of the wealthy Greenwich WASPs.

White clearly knows the society she's writing about and seems to enjoy gently poking fun at the well-heeled Greenwich crowd. She doesn't delve too deeply into most of her characters but still maintains the suspense throughout, offering up a few truly eerie moments and a very tense unveiling of the culprit. Her easy-to-follow, conversational style obviously isn't Tolstoy, but it's amusing and entertaining enough for a long car ride or a weekend at the beach.

- Rambles
written by Celeste Miller
published 28 August 2004